I bought my very own drinking horn during my recent visit to the Jorvik Story. I "christened" it that night with, what else, a good Yorkshire Ale, John Smith's, on which I was "beer weaned" many years ago.

The only preparation I made to the horn was to wash it out thoroughly with warm, soapy water, although I have since read that some people sterilise their horns with baby bottle sterilising solution to be on the safe side, and then line them with a coat of beeswax (see links).

All I can say is that I never spent any part of that evening talking to Huey on the big white telephone, so I think I'm OK there. However I might have to review the situation should I ever in the future have an uncontrollable urge to eat large quantities of grass and mooo. It has to be said that the horn does give your ale a certain something *ahem* extra in the flavour department. Opinion seems to be divided - some seem to claim that the horn's effects are just something one has to get used to, whilst others will stop at nothing to lose that distinctive extra taste!

The Vikings must have loved the Yorkshire water - in many places it is very "hard", prefect for brewing! Perhaps our families favourite Yorkshire Ale of all is The Black Sheep Brewery's "Riggwelter", dark, full bodied, strong and yet smooth. Of course to rate a mention on this site Riggwelter would have to have a Viking connection!! The name Riggwelter is an old Yorkshire Dales sheep farming dialect term with it's root in Old Norse. When a sheep is turned (welta) onto it's back (rygg) ready for shearing it is said to be riggweltered (literally back-turned, turned over onto it's back). The inference here is of course that should you not take good heed of the advice offered in the hávamál, then you too, might end up on your back, with your legs in the air!!